Who We Are: Alaska Women’s Summit Founders

US Senator Lisa Murkowski

United States Senator, Alaska

Biography

Senator Lisa Murkowski is a great role model for Alaskan women. She is the first Alaskan-born Senator and only the sixth United States Senator to serve our state. Lisa is a third-generation Alaskan, born in Ketchikan and raised in towns across the state: Wrangell, Juneau, Fairbanks and Anchorage.

Only the 33rd woman to serve in the United States Senate since its founding in 1789, Senator Murkowski has assumed leadership roles quickly. She is the senior Republican member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and also serves on the Senate Appropriations Committee, where she is the ranking Republican of the Interior and Environment Subcommittee. Senator Murkowski is a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee – the first Alaskan to serve on that panel – and also is a senior member of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee.

Senator Murkowski is married to Verne Martell and they have two sons. She enjoys spending time with her family in the Alaska outdoors.

Senator Lesil McGuire

Alaska State Senator, District L

Biography

Senator Lesil McGuire grew up with those she now represents in the Legislature. With this life-long perspective, she truly understands the concerns of the people in District K in Southwest Anchorage, Alaska.

Senator McGuire graduated from Willamette University with an undergraduate degree in Speech Communication and Political Science. Following her undergraduate studies, Senator McGuire went on to work in Washington D.C. for two years as a legislative and press aide for United States Senator Ted Stevens. She subsequently obtained her Juris Doctorate from Willamette University College of Law while clerking in the United States Attorney’s Office in Oregon. Her law degree was put to use when she came back to Alaska and worked for the firm of Birch, Horton, Bittner & Cherot.

When the seat in her district opened up, she took advantage of the opportunity to help her community in a unique way and decided to run for the Alaska State House. At age 29 she was elected by an overwhelming 64% of her district. In 2006, she was elected to the Senate, once again winning her election by a large margin, earning 66% of the votes. Having served in the Legislature for 12 years, Senator McGuire has dedicated her life to improving

Senator McGuire currently serves as the Chair of Senate Rules well as a member on the Senate Resources and Judiciary Committees. She is also the co-Chair of the Alaska Arctic Policy Commission. Senator McGuire actively continues to expand her involvement in national legislative leadership organizations as well. She was honored to be selected for such prestigious recognitions as the Vice-President and President-elect of Pacific Northwest Economic Region (PNWER), where she is currently co-chair of the Arctic Caucus and Chair of the Council of State Governments-WEST in 2007/08. She has also served as Chair of the Committee on the Future of Western Legislatures for CSG-West.